The Hooks Institute is committed to supporting research by faculty at the University
of Memphis that addresses local issues yet has national relevance. To this end, the Institute began making faculty research awards in 2010 to tenured
and tenure-track faculty members who are engaged in research related to the Institute’s
mission.

Request for ProposalsBenjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Changeat the University of MemphisFaculty Research Grants2011-2012 Academic Year

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis supports
scholars pursuing research related to its mission Teaching, Studying, and Promoting
Civil Rights and Social Change. Hooks Institute is committed to supporting research
by faculty at the University of Memphis that addresses local issues yet has national
relevance. To this end, the Hooks Institute is pleased to announce that proposals
are now being accepted for Faculty Research Grants for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members who are engaged in research related to the
mission areas of the Hooks Institute (see http://www.memphis.edu/benhooks/aboutus.php)
are eligible. It is anticipated that two grants of no more than $5,000 each will be
awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year. Additionally, the Hooks Institute may provide,
at the discretion of its Director, staff resources to assist faculty in completing
the research and related activities beyond the monetary award.

Research projects may cover a wide range of topics and employ a number of methodologies.
Appropriate examples include (these topics are not exclusive):

Researching for publication an analysis of how Benjamin L. Hooks shaped the American
experience through his civil rights activism, public service career as the member
of the Federal Communications Commission, and work as Executive Director of the NAACP;

Conducting community-based participatory research projects that address the concerns
and opportunities of the communities and engage students in a collaborative and sustained
manner with community groups (Engaged scholarship projects are particularly encouraged);

Examining emerging movements for civil, human, or LGBT rights, and their relationship
to the American Civil Rights Movement;

Preserving stories and primary resource materials related to events of the American
Civil Rights Movement that occurred in Memphis and the Mid-South; and

Exploring the historical and current state of race relations in Memphis and the Mid-South.

Application Materials

Applicants must provide a proposal narrative that addresses the following:

Briefly describe (no more than one single-spaced page) the research plan. Please provide:
background/rationale; problem statement; purpose and/or likely research question(s);
description of the methodology that will be used; products of the research/dissemination
plans; and the potential impact of the study (i.e., community action, historical preservation,
policy implications, continuation of ongoing research, pilot data for a larger study,
etc.)

Provide further explanation of the research project including: budget justification
specifying the amount requested and how institute funds will be used (The Institute
requires a diversified budget and allows some allocation of equipment funds); an estimate
of total amount of funds and resources needed to complete this research and steps
taken to secure additional funding if necessary; co-principal investigators, collaborators,
and/or graduate student involvement; and a timeline that specifies project start and
end dates as well as key deliverables. (one page)

Explain how this project aligns with the mission of the Hooks Institute (no more than
one paragraph)

Describe the researcher’s long-range research goals, and how this proposed plan fit
with these goals? (one paragraph)

Applicants must also provide a current CV, and a letter of support from their department
chair.

Timeline

All application materials should be submitted electronically to Ms. Ardella M. Jeffries, Hooks Institute Administrative Associate, amjeffrs@memphis.edu no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday February 17, 2012. Applicants will be notified of final decisions by April 17, 2012. Funding will be disbursed in the spring semester of 2012 depending on project timelines.
An interim report will be due every six months after funding is provided and a final
report upon completion of the project.

Review Process

Applications will be evaluated by a team that includes the Director and Associate
Director of the Hooks Institute and a University of Memphis tenured faculty member.

Review Criteria

Five criteria will be used to evaluate proposals: (1) significance of the problem
or issue, (2) research approach, (3) innovation, (4) investigator qualifications,
and (5) connection to the mission areas of the Hooks Institute.

Requirements

Must be a University of Memphis tenured or tenure-track faculty member.

Must provide a letter from departmental chair supporting the proposal.

Must agree to submit an interim report every six months after funding is provided
and a final report upon completion of the project.

Must provide an executive summary that may be placed on the Hooks Institute website.

Must acknowledge the Hooks Institute in any formal presentation or publication of
project results.